Drivers travelling past Markham schools on regional roads will notice changes on the pavement this fall, as York Region rolls out new safety measures aimed at protecting students during the back-to-school season.
The Regional Municipality of York and its traffic safety partners recently introduced the improvements in school zones across the region, the Stouffville Review reported.
What's changing
The measures centre on upgraded pavement markings designed to get drivers to ease off the gas. Among the most noticeable additions are optical speed bars — a series of painted bars on the road surface that create a visual effect intended to signal drivers to slow down.
The region is also installing wider, more visible centre lines, lane lines and edge lines, meant to help drivers better understand where they are on the road and how the lane is aligned.
Some markings will carry instructions painted directly on the asphalt, including messages such as “do not block” and “slow down.”
New signage marking pedestrian crossing areas is also being added, intended to help students get to and from school safely.
A message to drivers
York Region traffic safety manager Nelson Costa said the changes are being applied broadly, and urged motorists to stay alert around schools.
(We are) reminding motorists to slow down, pay attention, and be respectful of young kids, kids on bikes, walkers, and some of our senior populations. York Region is implementing these safety measures right across all of our schools on regional roads.
Costa's reference to regional roads means the measures will appear on corridors maintained by York Region itself. Roads owned and maintained by the City of Markham are not part of this round of work.
Part of Vision Zero
The school zone improvements fit within the region's broader commitment to reducing collisions and improving road safety for everyone who uses its roads, an effort the region frames under its Vision Zero program.
Residents who want more information about the program can visit york.ca/VisionZero.
The changes come as students across Markham and the rest of York Region settle into the new school year, a period when traffic around schools typically spikes with drop-offs, pickups, pedestrians and cyclists sharing the same streets.
